7 amazing uses for hydrogen peroxide around the home

When you buy hydrogen peroxide, you probably immediately store it with other first-aid supplies, right? After all, its main use is to disinfect wounds. That may be its most common use, but hydrogen peroxide is actually good for a wide variety of tasks.

Because of its disinfectant qualities, hydrogen peroxide is great to use for cleaning. It works similarly to bleach, but doesn't stink and has less potential for harm. So if you need to take care of some cleaning-related chores around the house, grab your bottle of hydrogen peroxide and get to work.

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1. Grout cleaner (h/t Clean My Space)Mix 2 parts baking soda with 1 part hydrogen peroxide and stir well with an old toothbrush. Soak the bristles of the toothbrush in the paste and apply it to your grout lines. Let it sit for a couple minutes, then use the toothbrush to scrub over the grout. When you're finished, wipe it up with a damp cloth.

2. Fruit & vegetable rinse (h/t One Good Thing)You probably rinse off your fruits and vegetables before you cut them up and eat them, but that might not completely remove any pesticides previously sprayed on them. To get rid of these, fill your sink with cold water and add 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide. Wash your fruits or vegetables in this and then rinse them again with cold water.

3. Dental hygiene (h/t Reader's Digest)While the thought of putting hydrogen peroxide in your mouth might not sound appealing, it's actually a pretty good idea. Mixing equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water and swishing it around in your mouth can act like regular mouthwash and help whiten your teeth. Just make sure you spit it out! You can also use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect your toothbrush.

4. Glass cleaner (h/t DIY & Crafts)Cleaning mirrors and windows often involves going over the glass multiple times to get rid of streaks. But if you use hydrogen peroxide instead of store-bought glass cleaners, you can avoid streaks. Just spray a mist of hydrogen peroxide onto the glass and wipe it off with a paper towel.

5. Countertop disinfectant (h/t Natural Living Ideas)Before you use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect your kitchen or bathroom countertops, make sure you test it on a small, out-of-the way area first. Once you're sure that it won't discolor your counter, you're good to go. Either spray the hydrogen peroxide directly onto the counter or pour a little onto a clean rag. All that's left is to wipe down the counter and get rid of the germs and bacteria.

6. Toilet cleaner (h/t The Balance)Hydrogen peroxide works similarly to bleach, so you can use it for cleaning if you don't like using bleach. To clean your toilet, pour 1/2 a cup of hydrogen peroxide into the toilet and let it set for 30 minutes. Then use your toilet bowl brush to clean as usual. This will save you from using bleach or buying other toilet cleaners.

7. Stain remover (h/t Care2)Spilling red wine on your carpet usually means that you're going to need to move your furniture around to hide a stain that will never go away. Or you could mop it up with a little hydrogen peroxide. Just combine equal parts hydrogen peroxide and liquid detergent and pour it over the stain. Pat it with a towel, add warm water and let it air dry.